


Dinner Surprise

by shanachie



Series: Love and Science [1]
Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-01
Updated: 2011-12-01
Packaged: 2017-10-26 18:29:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/286534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shanachie/pseuds/shanachie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick invites Greg to dinner and confesses something he's wanted to for a while.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dinner Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> So whogeek has been rambling at me about CSI lately and I’ve been watching the re-runs on Spike during the day. So this story started poking at me. And despite me explaining to the boys that I have a _ton_ of other stories to write and work on, it just wouldn’t let me alone. So yesterday I started and finished it. Special thanks to whogeek and illfindmyway who poked and prodded along with me to get this finished; especially whogeek who helped with some of the wording. Both of them alternated in telling Nick to “man up!” Also thanks to irishjeeper for giving me a title for this. THIS IS A ONE OFF. I don’t intend to write a sequel!

Nick walked past the layout room for the third time in twenty minutes, slowing down for a minute before picking up speed as he started to pass the room. This time he only got a few steps down the hall before he was hailed. “Nick? What’s…?” Nick turned back around to see Greg had stepped partway out into the hall and was frowning at him in confusion. “Is everything okay? I mean if you’re trying to see if you can wear a hole in the linoleum, I don’t think it’s been replaced since Bugsy Siegel was in charge of Vegas…” he trailed off as Nick hurried him back into the room.

“No. I…” Nick rubbed the back of his neck, ducking his head. “Never mind.” He waved a hand at the evidence Greg had spread out over the table. “Go back to what you were doing.”

Greg grinned at him. “Come on. What is it? You know I don’t bite. I mean. I dunno. Maybe that is your thing. It’s cool if it is, but ya know, not my business, unless ya know ya wanna share or something. Or.” He winced as he realized he’d been rambling for a few moments. “Sorry. Shutting up now.”

Nick smiled at that. He couldn’t help it; Greg’s rambling was as familiar and comforting as the other sounds of the lab. “Chill, G. I just had a question for you.”

“It’s not about this case is it? Because I am about to pull my hair out or make some bite marks of my own.” Greg motioned to the plates he had spread out across the table. “Because _none_ of these match.”

“No, it’s not, but lemme give you a hand with that,” Nick offered. He stepped closer to the table.

Greg moved to the side so the older CSI could see what he’d been looking at. For a few minutes, they worked in companionable silence. Then Greg asked, “So what _did_ you want to ask me?”

“Oh.” Nick didn’t look up from the two prints he was trying to match. “You have tomorrow night off, right?”

“Yeah? Do you need to switch shifts or something? Cause I gotta tell you, I can’t remember the last time I had a full night off and I am so looking…”

“No. No, it’s not that,” Nick cut him off. “I’ve got the night off too. And I wanted to thank you for the help you gave me last week. I was thinking… hoping… thatyou’dletmecookyoudinner,” he finished in a rush.

Greg blinked, taking a moment to parse out what his normally suave friend had just blurted out. “You cook?” he finally latched on to.

“Sometimes?” Nick hazarded, trying to gage if Greg was objecting to the invitation or the idea of him cooking.

“Yeah.” Greg smiled shyly at him. “Okay then. What time?”

“Seven good for you? Or is that too early or late?”

“No, that’s fine. Do you need me to bring anything?”

“Nope. I’ve got everything.” He motioned to the table. “Here, take a look at this.”

Greg leaned over, looking at the match Nick had found. “That’s it. Thanks!”

“You just needed a new set of eyes, G.” He glanced at his watch. “And hopefully my results are in now. I’ll see you tomorrow night?”

“Yeah. Definitely.” Greg grinned at Nick as he backed out of the room before turning his attention back to the results.

  
_CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI_   


Nick jumped as he almost dropped the pan he’d pulled from the oven. “Damn it,” he cursed softly. He set the pan on top of the stove and took a deep breath, then glanced at the phone that was sitting on the counter. “I should just call him and cancel,” he said out loud. “This has got to be one of the stupidest things I’ve done since I got to Vegas. I have no idea if he even _likes_ me that way. I’ve never given him any reason to think _I_ like him that way.” He rested his head against the cabinet as the rice bubbled away merrily on the stove. Reaching for his phone, he flipped it open, intending to call Greg and give him an excuse for calling dinner off.

After a moment, he set it back down. “No. I need to do this. Even if I don’t say anything else to him. Even if all we do is have dinner.” He picked the phone back up and shoved it into his pocket, putting the temptation out of his mind.

When the bell rang a few minutes later, he’d calmed down enough that he didn’t jump or yelp at the sound. Although he did start a little bit and almost knock the pan off the stove. He moved it back into place before taking a deep breath and heading for the door. Time to face the music.

When he opened it, he was glad he’d decided on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, rather than dressing up a little more because Greg was wearing a similar outfit although he’d pulled a dress shirt on overtop. He really wanted to reach out and just touch the soft cotton in front of him, but he gripped the door tighter and cleared his throat to stop himself from saying something stupid. “Hey.”

Greg gave a little wave. “Hey. You said not to bring anything, but…” he held up the six pack in his other hand. “I figured beer wouldn’t go amiss?”

“No, that’s…great.” He backed up, letting Greg into his apartment.

Greg looked confused as he followed Nick and allowed the dark haired man to shut the door behind him. “Did I do something wrong?” he asked.

“No.” Nick shook his head and forced a smile. “No. It’s fine. Sorry.” He motioned towards the table. “Let me find the bottle opener.”

Greg watched Nick hurry into the kitchen and scramble through a drawer, coming up with the needed instrument. He turned, tossing it to the other man, who caught it awkwardly. Greg considered the bottles for a minute, then set them and the opener on the table and moved so he could see what Nick was doing in the kitchen. “Ya know I didn’t seriously expect you to cook when you invited me,” he commented as he watched the other man move confidently around.

Nick glanced over his shoulder. “I said I was going to _cook_ , since when do I lie to you?”

Greg shrugged. “You don’t, but I guess. I tend to forget to go shopping. Or that I have food. So I eat a lot of take-out.”

“How are you still so skinny?” Nick asked as he started putting things into bowls and onto plates.

“Good genes? Nervous energy?” Greg suggested. “Speaking of. Why are you so nervous?”

“I’m not…” Nick started.

“Nick, please don’t bullshit me. I know your tells. What’s going on?”

Nick set the bowl he’d just picked up down and crossed over to where Greg was leaning on the island that separated the kitchen from the main room of the apartment. “Don’t kill me if I’m reading the signals wrong,” he said before pressing his lips to Greg’s.

For a moment, Greg was frozen against him then his lips softened and parted just a little. Nick _wanted_ so much, but he held himself back and kept the kiss chaste, pulling back after a minute. The sight of Greg, his brown eyes half-lidded and his lips parted and inviting, made him want to dive back in, but he needed to give the other man time to react. Greg blinked slowly, then stared at Nick who was watching him apprehensively. “But. But. You like redheads,” he protested.

“True. I do like redheaded _women_. I prefer blonde guys. I especially prefer you.”

“But. You’ve never given any indication that you like guys. At all.”

“Greg, I’m from Texas. Being loud and proud isn’t actually a smart thing. Especially not with my family. And sometimes it’s just easier to date women. I tend not to go for a man unless it’s someone I _really_ want,” Nick responded.

“But. Me?” Greg questioned.

Nick smiled softly at him. “Yes, you. Absolutely you.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re you,” Nick replied. “You’re smart, funny, kind, brave, you make me smile and laugh, even on my worst days and even when you don’t mean to. You’re willing to help other people even at a cost to yourself. Why wouldn’t I like you?” He grinned at the younger man. “And you’re good looking, too.”

Greg gaped at him for a minute as he attempted to gather his thoughts. “I don’t. Nick, I. We. But.”

Nick put a finger over his lips before giving in and exchanging that for a quick kiss. At least it stemmed the flow of miscellaneous words that made no sense. “Is your protest that you had no clue I’d be interested in you or that someone like me shouldn’t be interested in the geek you see yourself as?” he asked when he moved away.

“I have no idea,” Greg answered honestly.

“Okay.” Nick moved away, figuring he was pushing Greg by standing so close to him. “Why don’t we eat? You know my feelings and if…” He was cut off as Greg backed him up against the counter. “Um, Greg?”

“Just… I don’t… Oh, the hell with it.” He moved forward, trapping Nick against the counter, pleased when the other man didn’t protest. “I don’t know how to want this,” he admitted softly before pressing his mouth against Nick’s.

Nick groaned as Greg pressed his advantage, sliding his hands up Nick’s firm chest as Nick’s mouth opened under his. Greg slipped his tongue into the other man’s mouth as strong hands anchored themselves on his hips, drawing him even closer. When he pulled away, both men were breathing heavily. Nick brought a hand up, brushing a finger across Greg’s lips. “You don’t need a special way, Greggo,” he told the younger man softly. “It’s just you and me.”

“I want this. I want you,” Greg admitted.

Nick took a deep breath, ignoring the way Greg felt, still pressed firmly against him. “Okay. And I want you, too, but I don’t want to rush into this. We both need to eat.” He mouthed along Greg’s jawline, just enjoying the fact that he could, that he was allowed to touch; smiling as the younger man turned into the touch. “And I already cooked. Don’t want the food to go to waste. We’ll see where we go from there.”

Greg whined as Nick pushed him backwards and moved blindly towards him, only stopping when Nick put a hand up between them. His cheeks flushed as he realized what an about face it seemed like he’d done. “I’m making a fool…”

“Not at all,” Nick hastened to assure him. “And believe me I don’t object. But I really did invite you over for dinner.”

Greg waggled his eyebrows at Nick. “Not for…?”

Nick had to grin at the look Greg was giving him. “Well, yes, I was hoping it would go that way. I do want to feed you though.” He poked Greg’s side. “You’re too skinny.”

“Hey! I eat!”

Nick kissed his cheek before handing him the bowl of rice. “I’ve seen you eat. Which is why I made a lot. Take that to the table.”

“Hey, Nick?” Greg asked as he followed directions. Nick hummed in response and Greg took that as permission to continue, “What would you have done if I’d said I wasn’t interested?”

“I don’t pursue uninterested guys, Greg. And I trust you enough that if you weren’t interested, you wouldn’t say anything,” Nick answered. He nudged Greg towards the table. “Come on. Let’s eat.”

“And then maybe we can…?” Greg asked.

“And then we’ll see what happens,” Nick answered. “We’ll just see what happens.”


End file.
